Common sense has, thankfully, broken out in relation to the venue for the Connacht U20 final. In fairness to them, Connacht GAA moved rapidly this evening to sort the issue and they’ve done it in the right way.
The final will now go ahead at Markievicz Park on Wednesday evening, where throw-in will be at the earlier time of 6pm. The game will be streamed live by TG4 on their website and they’ll then broadcast it in full on deferred coverage at 7.30pm.
This is obviously the right outcome so fair play to Connacht GAA for recognising so rapidly that the issue needed sorting and moving without delay to sort it.
Connacht GAA also announced this evening that tickets for Wednesday evening’s provincial decider will go online at 10am tomorrow – details here.
Fair play to Sligo GAA rather for standing up to Connacht GAA. Make the correct and fair decision in the first instance rather than an embarrassing u turn when yiur bluff has been called.
I called it out Willie when you published the Connacht GAA Centre as the venue for the final after Mayo beat Galway in the Quarter final.
The winner of Sligo or Roscommon was entitled to a home game v Mayo. What was Prenty and Co thinking by trying to play it in Bekan? The final will attract 3 to 5k and his centre has just a 500 seated capacity, not or never will be suited for inter County provincial final.
Well done Sligo,from a committed Mayo supporter,fair is fair
Delighted to see this.
Hopefully it’ll be a cracking game too. Canice Mulligan looked great for them sweeping up around the middle against Roscommon, Callinan-esque. With the fluid movement among the forwards, especially between Donlon, Smith, Duignan and Davitt in their semi, sure to have our lads on the pitch and on the line on their toes all evening.
Imagine they’ll be coming in with a few significant height advantages in match-ups in and around our square, they have the potential to. Be interesting to see how this young crop can handle something that has been an achilles heel of ours at senior for quite a while.
Willie Joe, Connacht GAA made a mess of this situation taking home advantage away from Sligo! As Mayomagic said, Sligo or Roscommon were entitled to a home game against us. I don’t know why you’re saying fair play to them. They had no option but to reverse their decision or else Sligo were understandably not going to fulfill the fixture.
A good resolution in the end.Now let’s focus on the matches.
Simply because they did, Travelling Wilbury. It’s often isn’t easy to admit a mistake and rectify it quickly but they did that, defusing what could have been a messy situation. Sligo GAA were clearly in the right – and I said as much in the earlier post – but Connacht GAA had to move on it and I think they deserve credit for doing so.
Alls well that ends well. Hopefully Callinan back and we will change drastically in our style of play.
Sorry WJ but your incorrect on this one. sligo tried to negotiate with Connnacht GAA behind the scenes but Prenty didn’t even respond to the email. Only when Sligo GAA went public they decided to change it.
@Sligo Tipper… Shock, Horror, Outrage, .. who’d have taught that ?.. Well now, let me think;
Paddy Power have us at 9/2 to win the U20 All Ireland ,and Sligo at 14/1. Are we that much better than Sligo ? I dont think so. A bit bizarre.
No odds up yet on the Connacht final itself.
Gamble responsibly.
I know the background, Sligo Tipper, and I said in the post I put up earlier yesterday that Sligo GAA were absolutely in the right on this issue. I also linked to the Sligo statement. My point still stands, though, that Connacht GAA were willing to correct the mistake they’d made and fix the match for the right venue. They may have to have been publicly embarrassed to do this but they did still do it. That’s worth acknowledging and maybe it’d be no harm to be magnanimous about the outcome too.
Was this not a case that the final venue was fixed before any games were played?
That’s my understanding. Sligo should have raised this issue from the start if they have confidence in their ability.
They were also concerned about the time of the game, but not about the logistics of a venue change just a few days before the game.
Right decision. Sligo could hardly complain about the venue before they had beaten Roscommon in semi. A mistake was made. It was rectified. Now lets move on to the match. Having watched all 3 games in Connacht I cant see why Mayo are hot favourites. Its obviously based on history and tradition. Interestingly the 3 games in Connacht provided a winning agregate margin of 4 points. That suggests a competitive province.
Just to add slightly off the point, many Sligo people that I have come across this past few years haven’t forgiven Mayo for dishing out that big hammering a few years ago, I think it was 27 points in the end.
Willie Joe, I don’t think that connaught Council should have changed their mind on this . COE is a neutral venue. It has the lights etc to facilitate a night game and live showing on TG4. Prenty is doing a great job and doesn’t deserve the criticism. Anyway, best of luck to our team on Wednesday. They’re good enough and I expect them to win. Now I might just skip off to the races and might back Evergreenandred in the 1.10
Fair play to @leantimes and @Nephin for speaking the truth even if some people on here once again don’t want to hear it.
Was there not something about a Mayo fixture in 2014 I think !! That could have been dealt with
Better had some balls being provided.
Mayo v Kerry 2014 does spring to mind
The under 20s v Galway 3 weeks ago. The team won so alls well. But that was a home fixture for Mayo and they wanted it played in Ballina. Connacht Council said no, County Board didnt appear to make a stand so it was played in COE.
We could learn a little from Sligo here.
That said, best of luck to Mayo on Wednesday. Very competitive connacht under 20 championship – as it was at minor level 3 years ago
Correct decision and fair play to sligo for sticking to their guns and the powers that be for making the change. It’s great to be able to see games on TV but we can’t have TV dictating when and where games be played. Hoping for a win obviously but definitely want to see a better display /style of football from mayo
Fair play to Sligo on this one. Connacht Council behaved poorly on this one. Refused to even acknowledge email until Sligo went public with their statement.
Miraculously, the venue could be sorted then when the issue of bad press arose.
Let’s go and win the game now!
The problem with that logic, Michaelincork, is that it’s the same argument used to say that Croke Park is a neutral venue and that games involving Dublin played there aren’t home fixtures for them. Both assertions are equally incorrect in my view – Bekan is in Mayo and although it’s a Connacht GAA facility, games played there involving Mayo are home fixtures for us, in the same way that Croke Park matches are for Dublin.
I agree with you, though, that the Connacht Council in general and John Prenty in particular don’t deserve the criticism being heaped on them but, sadly, that’s a reflection of public discourse nowadays. There seems to be a gleeful need to identify those perceived to be to blame on any and every issue and for those sitting in judgment to dump on them from a great height. As the saying goes, though, the person who never made a mistake is the person who never did anything.
At the risk of inflaming the debate about the venue further, I feel I have to take issue with those comparing this case to Newbridge. The analogy is wholly flawed, in my view – Newbridge was always and everywhere about pure opportunism, there was (unlike this case) no principle involved. Kildare had sold out for the Croke Park dollar years previously and had trooped up to HQ year after year without a peep but only got exercised about their home ground when it suited them. The whole thing reeked of hypocrisy. Sligo, by contrast, were 100% right on the principle and, thankfully, principle won out in this instance.
Yeah , Enough of the cristism of the Connacht Council on here.
Let’s get back to the Racing tips on here.
Anyone got any tips for Ballinrobe or Galway Races.
Dont agree that COE is a home venue just because it is in Mayo.
Any team, club or county, can train there as much they like provided they are willing to pay for the use of it. This is the same for Mayo and any other team.
It cant be compared to a venue like McHale Park or Ballina. In McHale or Ballina a non Mayo team cannot train and would only be permitted a maximum of one session in the pitch prior to a game. It is not the same in the COE which they are free to train in as much as they like, as are Mayo.
Could they have not put the game to 6.30 to actually give people a chance to get to the game.
@Willie Joe, True.. “Newbridge or Nowhere” was in stark contrast to the previously held position of Kildare GAA as regards Leinster Championship Game’s and a subservience to Croke Park and Dublin GAA which was, and still is very much case for the other 10 football playing Leinster Counties, as regards playing venue’s or funding.. I know Kildare were relagated this year, but a number of Dublin Influential GAA Head’s were suggesting that the Kildare v Dublin league game earlier this spring be played in Croke Park and of course Advantage Dublin.. No doubt about it, had “Newbridge or Nowhere” not taken place in my opinion anyway, Kildare would have rolled over and played the game in Croke Par, and most likely lost that game as well… I wish all Counties would stand up for themselves, when they are obviously walked on by those on high, who don’t like to be questioned.. Cian O Neill, and Kildare GAA were inspired by Roscommon County Board and Kevin McStay standing up to the Connacht GAA and insisting on Connacht Final of 2018 Roscommon V Galway going ahead in the “Hyde or Nowhere” … As regards Mayo GAA if we were to become any more subservient we might as well call ourselves “Mayo Wanderer’s”.. I also recall certain a Director of Communication from Croke Park suggesting that there could be ‘Blood in the Streets of Newbridge’ if Newbridge or Nowhere went ahead,.. There was no blood in the streets of Newbridge,.. Kildare won the compelling football match, and subsequently Kildare got grant aided by Croke Park to assist with the development of St Conleth Park.. It was a Win Win, Win result for those who stood up for themselves, and against an obvious imminent injustice!.. Of course for Mayo it was bad because we lost, and Kildare GAA had never before shown such a defiant attitude in standing up to Authority.. But they did that Summer. 2018, unfortunately it was only one small battle won. The dice in Leinster and indeed Ireland has and still is very much loaded in favor of Dublin in everything from funding to venue’s, Dublin losing just one championship game in 47 last August doesn’t change that! .. Will it be 12 in a Row. Leinster Title’s for Dublin later this year, and 17 out of the last 18 Leinster Title’s?, Probably!
“Some fella mugged me last night and stole my wallet, I chased after him and when I cornered him he realized he had made a big mistake and he handed me my wallet back”.
I thanked him for his understanding, after all it was my fault was it not.
We know all about these so called “mistakes” or has everyone forgotten Kilmovee already and the pathetic way they were treated and the subsequent pathetic “technicality” the same Connacht Council used regarding their appeal.
If there is one good to be found regarding social media it’s that injustices can be called out rapidly and it’s easy to see why these grey men hate social media because for far too long good people in this country were trampled over by sleeveens in all walks of life.
Even if we were to call it a “mistake”, what men of sincerity do is not alone right the wrong, they apologize.
Never let anyone walk over you in any walk of life, there’s a reason they don’t walk over people like me.
That’s an utterly fatuous comment, Viper, and off the mark at so many levels. The analogy you made at the top is ridiculous, the Kilmovee example irrelevant (as there were other factors at play there) and as for your concluding remark, well …
It’s only fatuous because you think they should be thanked @WillieJoe when there’s nothing to pat them on the back for.
I don’t believe they should be thanked or patted on the back.
And no, I don’t let people walk over me and never will, why should anyone.
And when someone makes a “mistake” as you call it then what should also follow is an apology and on life goes.
Wrong, Viper, your comment was fatuous for more reasons than that. I never said they should be thanked, just that their willingness to sort the issue should be acknowledged. But, of course, you know that already. This issue only happened in the first place because the opportunity arose to have the final shown live on TV, great exposure provided by a TV channel that has done a huge amount of positive work in promoting matches that otherwise wouldn’t have been shown. This is where the rationale for Bekan came from and it was sound at that level but as Sligo GAA pointed out ran counter to agreed arrangements for home and away games. Viewed in this way, it’s easy to see why the issue blew up in the way that it did without ascribing nefarious motives to any of those involved. But, of course, you know that too. Or else you should before taking it upon yourself to pronounce judgment on others.
And I do not agree that the Kilmovee example is irrelevant because both disputes stemmed from a team being denied a home game.
It’s very relevant actually.
Anyways a U-turn was forced so that’s the main thing.
You said they deserve credit for it which is exactly the same thing as thanks, my point is nobody deserves credit for doing something that they ought to have done in the beginning or at least consulted.
Look, nobody judges anyone on one mistake but there are plenty people on here who will point out plenty mistakes if they’re listened to and I’m sure you know that as well @WillieJoe.
Just because someone doesn’t agree with your opinion doesn’t mean they are not right, you know.
I do understand the point regarding TV and that is fine providing it is agreed upon with all concerned and it clearly wasn’t.
Viper, I have seen you refer to grey haired people in posts, what is your issue with us older folk? Social media has some positives but also demonstrates that there are plenty people who have serious issues and can cause serious anxiety/ distress for those who are the victims of attack. Fair dues for standing up for yourself but note that no one, not even you is right all of the time.
Just as a matter of interest, how long are the core members of the Connacht Council in place ?, one or two seem to be there for years.
It doesn’t mean the same thing at all, Viper, but again you know that and you know too that this isn’t the first time on this blog that you’ve tried to say that someone has said something that they haven’t.
If you think this episode is in any sense remotely connected to the curious hill that Kilmovee chose to perish on, it’s clear no amount of debate will resolve that! There was zero similarity between those two cases.
@Mikey, It’s what you call and idiomatic phrase and has absolutely nothing to do with age, could mean people who are too long in certain roles or people who are too set in their ways, has many meanings.
You’d hardly call James Horan old and certainty not Stephen Rochford but wouldn’t Mayo football make most people grey.
Id say you dont work with the Disputes Resolution Authority Viper. Or the Workplace Relations Commission eithrr. If everyone got everything right all of the time what a society we would be. Bet Putin thinks hes always right and never allows anyone to walk over him.